Remedial foot support



Nov. 27, 1951 A. WOODTHORPE REMEDIAL FOOT SUPPORT Filed Feb. 1, 1951locomotion.

Patented Nov. 27, 1951 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,576,247 f i fREMEDIAL FOOT, sorrow Albert Woodthorpe, Toronto, Ontario, canaaaApplication February 1, 1951, SerialNo. 208,861

This" invention relates to improvements in remedial foot supports, andmore: particularly to supports of the type disclosed in United statesPatent No. 1,928,634 which was issued to Sterling Le Roy Spider andHarold Stewart Bovaird on October 3, 1933. r

In supports for the relief of arch troubles and kindred ailments it iscommon to provide pads or artificial elevations which exert directpressure upward and into the foot tissues. These pads or elevations tendto become rigid as the body weight bears down upon them, and unyieldingpressures are created which do not encourage normal re-alignment of themuscles and ligaments of the foot.

According to this" invention, these disadvantages may be overcome byproviding an essentially flat and smooth surface for the foot to restupon. This surface is constructed of resilient material, and issupported by a resilient mechanism in such a way that the surfacereadily accommodates itself to the actual needs of theindividual foot,providing free and natural muscular, ligamentary and osseous action, andspecificany avoiding all direct pressure by localized parts. Since therequirements of different feet vary, this invention permits the bodyweight to determine how much support is needed, rather than givingarbitrary support in definite areas only. Foot balance is improved,normal circulation of the blood is encouraged, the ligaments of the feetare properly re-adjusted, permanent correction and strengthening of thefoot tissues is encouraged, and more enduring. comfort and improvedposture in walking and standing is achieved. Relief is afforded to thefeet, legs, hips and spine.

In this invention, resilient support is provided in special places whichare not supported in any of the conventional archsupports. In' itsaction the support also massages the foot during It is the object ofthis invention to achieve the aforementioned results in a remedial footsupport which is of simple construction, easily produced, fitted andadjusted, of light weight andwell insulated and ventilated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description.

In the drawings which illustrate one embodiment ofthe invention, and inwhich like reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the severalviews:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bottom of a remedial foot supportfor the left foot;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the support;

Fig. 3- is aside view showing the support placed in the shoe andsupporting a foot. Part of the shoe is; cut away to show the archsupport;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 inFig. 2; and

Fig.- 5 is=a sectional view taken along line 5 -5 inniaz. Fig; 3 shows aleft foot! fitting into a shoe which has the usualupper 2 and sole 3;The" foot rests upon an archsupport constructed in accoruahee with thisinvention.

In the arch support illustrated, a mainplate 1, made of aresilient-metal such as finely spun Swedish steel, is preferably formedwith sub stanti'ally parallel edges, the rear end. being" rounded andthe front end suitably truncated. The mainplate is slightly arched fromend to end. Asshown Fig.3, the arch supportis so" positioned in the shoethat the front end of the mainplate lies just tethe' rear of the ball ofthe foot. j

Attached above m'ainplate I by rivets 5 is a pressed cork compound orsimilar soft resilient material. Pad 6 isthe same shape asmainplate 1,exce t that thep'ad is somewhat wider adj acent the instep of the'ioot.

1 secured abo e pad" may rivets 5* is a foot piece 4' which is cuts'o'thdt its ohtour conforms generally with'rhat of the inside Ofthe'shoe."

Foot piece fl-has a forward fiap' which projects under the Ball of thefoot, beyond pad 6 and main late 1', the has being skived' thin inorderto avoid impression upon the foot. The rear edge of footpiece 4 istrimmed to fit against the heel As shown in- 5-,- the front and rearends of.

tongue 9 are flat, but the tongue slightly arched between its ends. Thetongue serves as a resilientclamping member which firmly holds resilientpads ['0 H and [2 between the tongue and the-mainplate. V Normally,there'silient pads will be clamped above T-head '9' and bars 9 and 9respectively; but they may be shifted in position to meet therequirements" of the iiidividual' foot. Pad flyover-har 9 near the heat,provides resiliency at a place which: has been neglected inother footcorrectivedevices, and

furnishes additional comfort and correctiveaction andiI-nprovesthebalance of thewearer.

Making T-head1 9 flat, asshown Fig. 5t causes the. tongue to bend.toward the mainplate at its front end to hold pad [0 securely in poe,sition. The edges of ahead-,9 arelcurveclupgl.

In the preferred embodiment,

It is thought that the construction and the use of the invention will beapparent from the above description of the various parts and theirpurpose. It should be understood that the form of the inventionherewithshown and described is to be taken as'a preferred example of the sameand that various changes in the shape,

"l'fisize and arrangements of parts may be resorted only slightly andoperate almost independently a to provide resilient action over thewhole of'the support. Being light and resilient, thetongue is free totwist and to bend transversely as well as longitudinally andthusto'respond to'the" constant shifting of weight from point togpointiwhich occurs during wallging.

It is to be; understood that the tongue 9 may be E- or F'-shaped with alongitudinal stem'providinga resilientbase along the longitudinal archoi the fobtQand bars extending out from the stem across the bottom ofthe foot. Any of these constructions encourage normal weightdistribution upon the metatarsal heads and the heel, rather than liftingor supporting directly any sagging tissue, and thus avoid anycrutch-like action which prevents the normal re-alignment of muscles andligaments. Because of the resilient action which encouragesnature, thewearing of this support isnot habit-forming. The support is notweakening, butf'rather strengthens the foot tissues by encouragingtheir'free action in a correct manner.

It is thought that it will be clear from the above description that theone-piece, longitudinal tongue 9, is an improvement overthe longitudinaland transverse spring strips in Patent No. 1,928,634. The presentconstruction elimihates the awkward transverse'spring strip, which wasopen at one side only, and, being riveted to one edge of the mainplate,tended to weaken the mainplate and to decrease its resiliency. Thespecial rivets of the "transversespring strip interferred with thesmooth surface" of the mainplate, and these have. likewise beeneliminated. The improved support 'h'as'greater versatility since theresilie'ntpads' I0, I [and [2 can be positioned and adjusted to meetindividual needs. H

The improved design of tongue 9 and the use of the resilient pad H belowthe instep have done away with the need for a metallic lip on plate 1 tosupport'pad '6 beneath the waist of the foot. Similarly, the metatarsalpad, attached to the mainplate in Patent No. 1,928,634, can beeliminated. Any rigid or irritating points above the mainplate are thusavoided.

The felt pad in Patent'No. 1,928,634 has been replaced by a special pad60f compressed cork and paper, or'the'like'which is non-absorptive," ofreduced bulk, serves as an excellent heat insu'-' out to conform withthe heel portion of the shoe,

so that the individual foot'is supported in exactly the right position.With the foot so positioned, the arch support doesnot move in the shoe.Body weight near the front of the support prevents longitudinal forwardmovements and the heel portion of the shoe prevents movement rearwardly.Because of this, the rearward projection; of the longitudinal metallic:stripin Patent 1,928,634 can be eliminated. -w-

to withoutdeparting from the invention as defined in the'subjoinedclaims.

What.I-claim asimy invention is:

1. In a remedial foot support, a mainplate, a

' resilient'tongu'e' of less width than the mainplate,

secured at one end to the heel end of the mainplate, and extendinglongitudinally below the mainplate andnormally. closely approximatingthe adj acents'urfaceoi the mainplatethrou'ghout its length to clamp aresilient pador pads against the mainplate, but adapted tofbe pulledaway from the mainplate for the insertion of such" pad or pads, and atransverse ba'r extendingfrom the said tongue.

2. In a remedialfoot support, a mainplate, a resilient tongue of less'width than the'mainp'late,

.. secured at one end to the heel'end of the mainplate, and extendinglongitudinally below the mainplate and normally closely approximatingthe adjacent surface of the mainplate throughout its length to clamp aresilient pad or pads against the mainplate, but adapted to be pulledaway from the mainplate for the insertion of such pad resilient tongueof less width than the mainplate, secured at one end to the heel end ofthe mainplate, and having a 'T-head at the other end,. said tongueextending longitudinally below'the mainplate and normally closely,approximating the adjacent surface of the mainplate throughout itslength to clampa resilient pad or pads against the mainplate, butadapted to be pulled away from the mainplate for the insertion of suchpad or pads, anda transverse bar projecting intermediate the ends'of thesaid tongue.

said tongue extending'longitudinally below the 50 mainplate and normallyclosely approximating the adjacent surface of the mainplatethrough-" outits length to'clamp a resilient pad or pads against the mainplate, butadapted to be pulled away from'the mainplatef for the insertion of suchpad orpads, and a plurality of bars extending from the said tongue.

5. Inja'remedial'foot support, a mainplate, a resilient tongue of lesswidth thanthemainplate, secured at one end to the heel end of'themainplate, and havinga T head at the other end, said tongue extendinglongitudinally below the mainplate and normally closely approximatingthe adjacent surface of the mainplate throughout its'length to clamp aresilient pad or pads against the mainplate, but adapted to be pulledaway from the mainplate for 'the ins ertion of such pad or pads,atransyerse bar projecting from one side of the tonguenear the end atwhich the tongue is secured tothe mainplate, and a transverse barprojecting from the other side of the tongue and intermediate the endsof the tongue.

No references cited.

